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The Music Library

 

Since I have a nice lot of room in this account, I thought I'd put together a list of my favorite songs. This is not, of course, all of my favorites, and I will add things from time to time I'm sure. I should mention that a lot of my other favorites are attached to my anime pages as soundtracks. Those are all listed at the bottom of the page, by the series for which I used them, without much commentary.

All files are RealAudio, encoded with the Basic version and therefore require RealPlayer 8 or up to read. If you don't have RealPlayer, you can download it here. Links directly to these files from outside alltrees.org will be denied. Think of it as a very limited radio station. All files are optimized for a 56 kps connection.

Good listening!

 

Ani Difranco

What was it now? "Thrash-Folk, which means it's out of tune but, um, charming none the less..." Ani is... Ani. Just listen.

32 Flavors A good self-esteem song...in a very Ani kind of way. Smooth sound, almost lilting.

As Is A kind of "let's be assholes together" theme; pretty low toned.

If He Tries Anything The girlfriends song, also pretty low now I think of it; couldn't really call it laid back, though. I mean, it's Ani.

In or Out Edgier and louder. Quite possibly my favorite Ani song.

 

Melissa Etheridge

Rock.

Different I like pretty much anything Melissa does, but this is one of my favorites. It's oh, so dancable. Definitely a beat that grabs your hips. Good song for slinking to in dark clubs.

 

Richard Thompson

Orpheus went and bought a guitar. These are all off A Rare Thing, which harbors most of my favorite versions.

Valerie Bouncy sort of song, considering it's about Variation Confusing of the Relationship From Hell.

I Feel So Good Really nice song to listen to when you're feeling hostile and/or rebellious.

Beeswing Absolutely beautiful, if a bit sad.

 

Dar Williams

Pretty straight Folk-Rock. Increasingly electrified and accompanied as time goes on.

Are You Out There My inspirational song for teaching; lots of bass.

Flinty Kind of Woman The dire consequences of messing with a mom; fast, little instrumentation, very funny.

The Pointless, Yet Poingnant Crisis of a Coed Another mostly speaking song; absolutely hysterical.

 

Patty Larkin

Um. Folk-Rock-ish? She can do cool things with an electric guitar.

Pundits and Poets The song I listen to when I need to believe that all humans are not sheep. Upbeat.

Banish Misfortune/Open Hand Demonstrating the cool things with the guitar. Instrumental.

Beg to Differ This song was written well before 9-11, and to other ends, but for me it fit the months following very well. A bit bitter and a bit hopeful.

 

Gaia Consort

Pagan Rock.

Cry Freedom Great song with some really catchy violin in there. Not particularly friendly to the Christian church, but then neither am I.

Secret Voices Swinging little rhythm, which is why I like it.

Three Not musically outstanding, but I very much like the lyrics.

 

Inanna

Also Pagan, they do drum stuff. Tamer than a drum circle, but isn't everything?

Iaciao I particularly like this one. It's apparently based on an Arara (in what used to be Dahomey, Africa) chant/beat. Swing-y and intoned.

 

Gaelic Storm

Irish Trad-Rock

Hills of Connemara Kind of their signiture tune. Fast, bouncy; it's about bootlegging, after all.

 

Oyster Band

Gaelic Not-Trad-Rockish (lots of fiddle, good beat, few trad songs)

All That Way For This They dedicate this one to the spirit of Thomas Paine (author of Common Sense, the revolutionary's revolutionary); it's a good match for my own hope and dissapointment in the place I live. Roll on, independence day...

 

Skyedance

Gaelic Trad-ish

The Spark Possibly my favorite of theirs; it's a fine example of what happens when you add bass and a huge drum-set to the more traditional instruments. Great toe-tapper.

 

Sharon Murphy with Whisp

Gaelic interpreted Trad

Home Again in Eireann Really lovely, soaring vocals.

 

Hoven Droven

Swedish Trad-Rock

Kjellingen Instrumental, heavy beat. If you crossed cajun with heavy metal, you might get something like this.

Slentbjenn Pretty ditto.

 

Mary Chapin-Carpenter

Country, Blues, Rock.

He Thinks He'll Keep Her A song to sing along to when you're in a hostile mood. Music isn't all that harsh, but the lyrics are.

I Am a Town Beautiful. Slow.

I Take My Chances Another defiant song in major chords.

Rhythm of the Blues Just like the title says.

 

Saffire, the Uppity Blues Women

A trio who are definitely not guilty of false advertizing.

Bitch with a Bad Attitude Oh yeah. Why not to mess with the aforementioned.

School Teacher Blues This one has as story to go with it. The first time I heard Saffire was live at The Ark (the old one) in Ann Arbor . Gay stepped up to sing this one and mentioned that she wrote it from experience, having been a teacher of eighth grade science (if I recall correctly). A chorus of "ooooh" swept through the audience. Gay smiled and said "Ah, I see we have some educators in the audience tonight." It set the tone wonderfully for the song.

 

Linda Ronstadt

Country, Blues, Rock, lots of other stuff. She has the most incredible voice.

Mohammed's Radio Lovely, bluesy. Song originally by Warren Zevon (many thanks to Dave Scocca for that info!)

 

Songs for Sailor Moon

Blood of Eden--Peter Gabriel

 

Songs for Gundam Wing

Blue Denim--Stevie Nix

All Fired Up--Pat Benetar

Love is a Battlefield--Pat Benetar

 

Songs for Cowboy Bebop

Last Train Home--Pat Metheny

Ice Cream--Sarah McLachlan

When She Drives--Skyedance

Unsquare Dance--Dave Brubeck

Easy Money--Rickie Lee Jones

Luck of the Draw--Bonnie Rait

We Want A Rock--They Might Be Giants

 

Last modified: 08/23/08
First Posted:7/5/2001